NewsWest 9
ANDREWS COUNTY - Five people, including three young children and their grandmother, died in a tragic head-on crash in Andrews County.
The accident happened Saturday afternoon on FM 1788 when a dump truck and a car crashed head on and burst into flames.
A dump truck and a Volkswagen, badly mangled and it's hard to tell what happened.
"The vehicle drifted into the northbound lane and was struck head on by the truck and it drug it for a few hundred feet," Trooper John Barton, with the Texas Department of Public Safety, said.
Barton said for some reason Deborah Beck veered into the northbound lane of FM 1788 and collided with a dump truck hauling a trailer.
Making this tragedy even worse, her three grandkids were in the car with her.
Beck was following her son and daughter-in-law when the violent crash happened.
"This is one of those tragic incidents," Barton said. "One of those worst possible scenarios to where the family is actually on scene and witnesses it, so it makes it very difficult for everyone involved."
Inside the dump truck was 56-year-old Edwin Timmer. His wife also happened to be following him a few miles back.
"He was able to talk to his wife," Barton said. "I believe she was following him and we know that he was talking to her after the crash, and shortly after that, both vehicles were engulfed in flames."
Timmer wasn't able to get out of the truck in time.
He, along with Beck and her three grand-children, died at the scene.
DPS troopers identified the kids as eight-year-old Tiffany Klein, three-year-old Jeremyah Rodriguez and two-year-old Sebastian Savage.
Now after the accident, there are still lingering questions as to how this could've happened.
Troopers are still investigating if speed was a factor.
"It's just one of those deals where we still have to piece together some of that information to get the full details," Barton said. "We don't know why she drifted across into the oncoming lane. That's probably something we'll never know."
DPS, Andrews Fire Department and sheriff officials all responded to the accident. The Midland County Crisis Intervention Unit was also there to assist family members.
